Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Whelan.
Joe, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My interest actually began as a teenager in the mid 80’s when I purchased my first motorcycle. This was a time when the Japanese manufacturers really began to up their game in the industry. I bought and sold a few Honda’s throughout that time and I was hooked, but my journey into making it a business began about 12 years ago. A good friend of mine had an 82 Suzuki GS1100E he was going to leave behind after a move and told me I could have it if I came and got it. The next day I rented a truck and drove 7 hours to get it. Shortly after getting it I needed some assistance in getting it running so I took it to the local Suzuki dealer for service. Before I even had a chance to explain they informed me that they do not work on anything more than 10 years old. Disappointed, I moved on to another and was told the same thing. This left me with no choice but to figure it out on my own, so I did. In this process I met countless others who were experiencing the same problem as I. From there I became obsessed with learning as much as possible about all four makes and eventually became a point a referral for others. In April of 2012, I launched VJ Moto with one tool box, one motorcycle lift and a passion for making this happen. Today, we have 10 lifts and on average 40 vintage Japanese motorcycles in for service and restoration. I have one full time tech, 2 part timers and myself to keep up with the demand. We have bikes shipped in from all over the country for full frame off restorations and various upgrades and repairs.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not, one person and a tool box cannot answer the phone, greet customers, order parts and still bill hourly to make a living. Early on, this was very difficult because I did not have the working capital to hire someone even though I knew it as the only way to grow the business.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with VJ Moto – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
VJ Moto works specifically on vintage Japanese motorcycles from the 60’s 70’s and 80’s. We specialize in repair, restoration and maintenance of the bikes dealers will no longer work on due to their age. Best known for our highly skilled and detailed restorations as displayed on our website and Facebook page. What sets us apart is how involved we are with the client throughout the process. Most of our customers are as passionate as we are so we correspond daily with them to keep them well informed on the project.
Without question, I am most proud of how the business model is shaped and targeted for the future, with every passing year another group of models becomes obsolete in the eyes of a dealer but for us this is where it all begins!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My future plans include another location in the DFW and eventually other markets throughout Texas. My personal project is reshaping the current business model to be more efficient so that we can be timelier in our services. The model must be perfected before I can consider any serious growth.
Contact Info:
- Address: VJ Moto
1491 N. Kealy Ave., #1,
Lewisville, TX 75057 - Website: www.vjmoto.com
- Phone: 972-219-6059
- Email: vjmoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: vj_motojoe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vintagejapanesemoto/
Image Credit:
Joe Whelan
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